Tourism in the Finger Lakes region has hit new milestones, and plans are in the works to raise even more dollars from visitors.

On Friday, state Sen. Ted O’Brien, D-Irondequoit, joined a number of industry leaders to tout recent accomplishments and outline future plans.

O’Brien said at a gathering Friday at Ravenwood Golf Club in Victor that the “partnership between hard-working local business owners, cultural organizations, tourism agencies and government has truly paid off for Rochester and the Finger Lakes region this summer."

Citing figures from VisitRochester, O’Brien said “2013 is on track to be the first year in which the economic impact of tourism in Monroe County will crack the $1 billion mark. That is an amazing milestone for the county, and demonstrates what is possible when all of these different groups are working together well."

In the Finger Lakes Region as a whole, tourism was a $2.8 billion industry in 2012, up 3.7 percent from the prior year. Whether the industry tops the $3 billion mark this year won’t be known for awhile, but tourism leaders expressed optimism.

“Tourism is a critically important industry in the Finger Lakes, generating a positive image for our region on a state and national level, and generating jobs and tax revenues on a local level,” said Valerie Knoblauch, president of Finger Lakes Visitors Connection. “As we approach the $3 billion mark over the next 12 to 18 months, it’s time for all of us to recognize the role tourism plays in our economy — and for leaders to invest even more in the Finger Lakes ‘product’ everyone loves.”

Knoblauch named three Ontario County projects that were recently named among the top 20 priorities by the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council: The Canandaigua Lakefront redevelopment project; Hobart and William Smith Performing Arts Center; and Bristol Mountain Winter Resort Aerial Adventure Park.

“All deserve state funding, and with Sen. O’Brien’s support, we hope to get it,” Knoblauch said.

Don Jeffries, president and chief executive of VisitRochester, emphasized collaboration among tourism leaders in the entire region. “We’re trying to change the conversation away from going county by county, or just Monroe County, to the need to promote the Finger Lakes as a region,” Jeffries said.